Gronbaek shows great form before Bundesliga-start by scoring twice for HSV in German Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hamburger/v9k3aY5F/"]Hamburger SV[/a] cleared the first hurdle in the DFB-Pokal when the North German outfit won 3-0 (1-0) on Monday evening away at third-division side SC [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/1-fc-koln/WG9pOTse/"]Verl[/a]. This means HSV have now reached the second round for the sixth time in a row.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gronbaek-albert/nejuxKZl/"]Albert Gronbaek[/a] (41', 46') and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lemke-louis/fFTfSCxA/"]Louis Lemke[/a] (50') scored the goals for the visitors, who initially struggled for long stretches in the first half. HSV will find out their second-round opponent in the draw on 5 September, with matches to be played on October 27 and 28.[/p][embed guid="f33f7046-096a-445a-a296-93bbb72c7ef3" url="https://x.com/HSV/status/2091946571071926679?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Verl had started the new 3. Liga Liga season with two clear defeats, but HSV coach Merlin Polzin still warned about the opponent before the match: [b]"It's a team that wants to have the ball, that wants to play. We've prepared in detail to be up to the task,"[/b] he told Sky. Polzin started three new signings in the starting eleven: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bornauw-sebastiaan/z58rzyyp/"]Sebastiaan Bornauw[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adeline-martin/42xsAKpa/"]Martin Adeline[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daka-patson/0MQtpIlG/"]Patson Daka[/a].[/p][p]In memory of the late club patron Klaus-Michael Kühne, the HSV players wore black armbands, but in the sold-out Sportclub-Arena with 5,207 spectators, they initially found it tough going. The first attacking moves came from the underdogs, with a long-range shot from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clausen-mika/dA2oDVr7/"]Mika Clausen[/a] (13') only narrowly missing the target. Verl continued to come close to taking the lead several times after that.[/p][p][b]It took 31 minutes for the Rothosen to register their first shot on goal, and only towards the end of the first half did the favorites pick up the pace a bit—and were immediately rewarded when Gronbaek kept his cool one-on-one with Verl keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hubers-timo/QPixSkoq/"]Timo Schliek[/a].[/b][/p][p]Right after the restart, the Dane was in the spotlight again when he doubled HSV's lead after searching down the left flank. Shortly after, the just 16-year-old Lemke made things clear. The visitors then managed to preserve their lead without any major problems.[/p]